Kurema
Kurema (クレマ) was a militaristic nation formerly led by an emperor, later reforming into a federation. The earliest known settlers of Kurema were exiles from the aftermath of a civil war against Sengetsu, fleeing south to avoid post-war retribution. War and conflict extensively marked Kurema's history, having played a major role in the formation of the country. Despite living in a constant struggle against the local wyvern population, the first Kureman settlers managed to tame several of them for use. This eventually led to the wyvern being the cavalry mount of choice and symbol of the Kureman military. Civilians from Kurema are referred to as Kuremans. History Colonization The first Kuremans originated from Sengetsu in the aftermath of the Sengetsu Civil War. They fled from their homeland after a disastrous defeat and forced to travel to the rugged and dangerous mountain ranges to the south, where they made their home with wild wyverns. The settlers eventually began taming these wyverns for use in self-defense against raiders and other outsiders. This act of defense eventually developed into a business, allowing the land, soon called Kurema, to prosper. However, wyvern attacks on local villages made the Kuremans realize that working just for their own survival would wipe them out. The first government in Kurema was a confederation between a multitude of villagers, though its lack of central authority made the government ineffective at achieving its original purpose of uniting the Kureman people for defensive purposes. Herman Thorne took it upon himself to toss aside the old Kureman Confederation, and reformed the nation into the Kingdom of Kurema. Thorne named himself the First Emperor of Kurema, becoming the central authority that the confederate government lacked prior to Thorne's reforms. However, Thorne's governmental reforms faced enormous criticism, with those in opposition to the reform to a imperial government wanting to reform the nation into a government akin to a federal republic. Fights broke out in the streets between the so-called Royalists, those loyal to Thorne, and the Republicans, who supported a republican government. The Kureman Civil War surveys the damage left in Korburg.]] The fights turned from fist fights to bloody conflicts rather quickly. The civil war last for years, as both sides were almost equally matched in terms of generals and dedicated followers. Thorne attempted to quell the rebellion to the monarchal rule and brand those who believed in the republican cause as traitors, which worked poorly to dissuade people from turning to the republicans. Emperor Thorne was later assassinated by one of his own servants, upsetting the balance of the war to the republican's favor despite the servant in question's capture and execution. Without any heirs to assume the imperial mantle, the closest relative was sought out by Thorne's subjects. They soon found Lykei Trieteri, a distant cousin of Herman, who agreed to come to Kurema and assume leadership. The republicans attempted to prevent her from arriving in Nagburg, but deceptive maneuvers utilized by the royalists allowed Lykei to safely arrive. After taking the time to understand the situation, Lykei decided to take a different direction in leadership. She granted the cities under royalist control some degree of self-governance, stating that the difficulty of traveling across the country would make it difficult for a single governing body to control everything. In doing so, air traffic in and out of Nagburg significantly decreased. Although Republican support was still present in the aftermath, its strength wanned with every political move that Lykei made. Eventually, the rebelling cause was left with extremists that were considered terrorists. Kureman-Tuk Conflicts As the ruler of Kurema, Lykei attempted to direct the remnants of the civil war bloodlust into vies for adventure. She approved expeditions into the Godai Desert in search for resources that Kurema could use in order to expand. However, the Tuks of Sardituk saw it as an intrusion on their territory and attacked the Kureman expedition parties. In response, Lykei approved armed expeditions in order to protect exploration teams sent into the desert. The Yorcaster War Lykei did not name a successor when she died of old age, leaving the question of who would succeed her ambiguous. The family relations of Lykei was investigated, and two potential successors were found. Van Alcaster and Tyrone York were the closest heirs to the throne. However, the Kuremans could not decide on either person to lead Kurema, leading to numerous protests and fights that break out. Although fatalities were fairly limited, the insecurity of Kurema created fear that the country would be taken advantage of by neighboring countries. Although Tyrone attempted to continue to gather followers, Van pointed out the show of weakness in the country. Her concern garnered support. When Kurema was invaded by a bandit alliance, Van took the helm of fighting back the invaders. Tyrone did little to help fight, seeing it as an opportunity to retain strength to overcome the weakened supporters of the Alcasters. However, this plan backfired after the bandits were driven off, when the poor showed their own support for Van's compassionate rule. Van became the third monarch of Kurema, and Tyrone submitted to her rule. Modernization The Industrial Revolution marked the advent of the modernization of technology. The Kureman imperial family saw it crucial to not fall behind in technology in order to not be swallowed up by other nations who are advancing their own technology. As a result, the Kureman military grew in power, especially the air force. The advances in military aircraft were so drastic, the traditional wyvern cavalries were effectively phased out for mechanical war planes in a matter of decades. The effects of the Industrial Revolution are still felt in the Kureman armed forces, with their incredible progress making the country a formidable military power. The geographical location of Kurema in the middle of the Higashi continent made Kurema's armed forces even more fearsome, since they can launch a massive offensive in minimal amounts of time anywhere on the continent. Change in government As time progressed, the Kureman empire came under pressure from tight relations with its neighboring countries. Among the criticism that Kurema faced was its ever growing military power, and the potential for its abuse to blackmail and bully other countries. Geography Mountainous and rugged were common adjectives used to describe Kureman terrain. The difficulty of travel by foot quickly made the use of wyvern mounts the preferred form of travel by Kureman citizens. The most plains-like region of Kurema could be found at the Kureman Plains, situated near the center of the country. The capital, Nagburg, could be located at the southern edge of the region, its location chosen for its strategic military advantages. Government and politics Kurema was previously ruled by a monarchy, though it has since gradually shifted to a constitutional monarchy with a democratic system in place to elect political leaders. The change in power was peaceful since a lesser version of the system was already being practiced during Queen Trieteri's rule. Controversy For years, Kurema's large military, its air force in particular, has been criticized by the Godaikoku as expanding too rapidly, alongside its wide power projection capabilities. Kurema has insisted that the military has been a significant part of Kureman culture, only going as far as to limit the production of Kureman arms. Culture The elders were highly respected in Kureman culture, as they had greater experience and supposed wisdom than the others. Also, since vegetation were scarce, they were usually presented with walking sticks before the younger people could use them. As technology progressed, the walking stick grew to become a ceremonial object, and was considered a gracious gift symbolizing one's hope for a safe journey. Military Kurema focused heavily on air superiority since its founding. Its array of air superiority fighters, bombers, UAVs, and other aircraft are considered to be the most technologically advanced in the world; the result of years of government-funded research and development. The Kureman Imperial Air Force (KIAF) is among the most feared forces in the world. Even its navy centers itself around the air force: the Kureman Navy prides itself in its heavily armed aircraft carriers, including a supercarrier, though they are not afraid to utilize destroyers, battleships, frigates and other warships. However, Kureman warships are somewhat lacking, performance-wise, in comparison to other national naval forces. The Kureman Army, on the other hand, concentrates its strength in guerilla warfare. They place strong emphasis on the use of artillery and long-range gun emplacements. Information supplied to them by scout craft from the KIAF allows the Army to initiate precision strikes against distant targets. Their anti-aircraft batteries allow them to support the KIAF in times of need. Notable locations * Nagburg is the capital of the Nagant Province of Kurema, as well as the capital of the nation. * Korburg is the capital of the Korkant Province, found in the northern regions of Kurema. * Suoburg is the capital of the Suant Province, located in the southern regions of Kurema. Behind the scenes Kurema is derived from the Finnish words that mean "dragon land". The country of Kurema was originally created as a role-played nation in a fantasy-based nation simulation. Category:Articles by LaviBookman Category:Nation Category:Kurema